Bettinardi vs Scotty Cameron Putter: A Complete Comparison

When it comes to golf clubs, Scotty Cameron putters have a reputation of being the best in the business. With scores of celebrity endorsements and regular appearances on the pga tour, the Scotty Cameron putter line is seen by many as the top brand for all other putters to beat. However, the lesser known Bettinardi putters have gained a stellar reputation among many golf enthusiasts for their excellent craftsmanship and playability. When it comes to Bettinardi vs Scotty Cameron, which putter set comes out on top?

Bettinardi vs Scotty Cameron: which one is better?

For our matchup, we compared the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 with the Bettinardi BB-1. Overall, we believe that the Scotty Cameron putter is still the best putter in the golf world. However, the BB-1 comes in at a very close second place. Let us explain.

In a number of ways, these two clubs are very similar. They are both high-end Anser style blade putters with a plumber’s neck offset. They are also both finely crafted and precision milled from 100% 303 stainless steel, which gives them a very responsive feel. They’re both well balanced with moderate toe hang and a slight arc stroke.

When you have two putters that are so similar, the difference comes down to the details. During our testing, we felt that the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 had a slightly better weighting, balance, and feel than the Bettinardi putter. This resulted in a slightly more forgiving feel on impact and a more consistent roll.

This isn’t to say that the Bettinardi putters are bad by any means. In fact, the BB-1 golf putter is still an excellent choice, even when considering it’s hefty price tag. However, when the Newport 2 retails for around $400 and the Bettinardi BB-1 retails for around $430, we have to give the edge to Scotty Cameron.

Bettinardi putter review – full analysis

Let’s get this out of the way first, the BB-1 is an excellently crafted golf club that would make a fine addition to any golfer’s bag.

Compared with Scotty Cameron putters, Bettinardi may be the lesser known of the two brands. However, Bettinardi putters have gained a large cult following since the company was founded in 1991. Many people may not know this, but Robert Bettinardi used to manufacture the Scotty Cameron putter line, before branching out on his own decades ago.

Bettinardi golf clubs, including the BB1, are known for having their club head and neck fully milled from a single block of metal. Originally a defense contractor, Robert Bettinardi now uses his large milling machines to precision mill his putters from 100% 303 stainless steel.

Much like the Scotty Cameron Newport 2, the Bettinardi uses the classic “anser style” design for its putter. The putter itself comes in a sleek glossy black color that looks great. The plumber’s neck hosel creates a full offset that provides moderate toe hang, which works best for players with a slight arc stroke to their swing.

During our testing, we appreciated the fully milled putter face in particular, which we felt gave the club an excellent feel on hit. Bettinardi putters are known for their deep honeycomb milled face. This deep milling gave the putter a nice soft feel on contact with the ball, which produced a consistent roll.

We also found the putter’s feedback to be very responsive, giving a soft sound on good hits. On slight mishits, the club’s sound would get progressively louder and duller depending on the level of mishit.

Overall, we think the Bettinardi putter is a great choice for any player looking for a new putter.

Pros – why we like it

• The precision milled face gives a very responsive feel and hits the ball with a consistent roll
• The answer style design and sleek black coloring look great together
• This is a high quality putter that will stand the test of time

Cons – drawbacks to consider

• The BB-1 is a very expensive putter, which will turn off more budget conscious consumers
• The blade style of putter can be a bit harder to learn than a modern mallet style putter designs

Scotty Cameron putter review – full analysis

Titleist is a brand of high end golf equipment well known for it’s quality and performance, and their line of Scotty Cameron putters is no exception. The Scotty Cameron model is famous for being used by Tiger Woods on the pga tour. Specifically for this comparison, we are looking at the Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2 putter.

The Select Newport line of Scotty Cameron putters are traditional Anser blade putters. This classic style of blade putter has a good feel and great feedback when playing golf. In fact, Scotty Cameron claims that this style of putter has “the most famous putter head shape in the world, with scores of professional titles won”.

Although they have a basic Anser design, these Scotty Cameron putters are made with great attention to detail. These putters have a club face precision milled from 303 steel, and this attention to detail is why the Scotty Cameron is featured on our best milled putters list. The club head is expertly weighted for optimal feel, swing control and stability. Even the plumber’s neck shaft has been optimized for better visibility and alignment.

There are several versions of the Scotty Cameron Newport putter available with small differences in design, and some of these differences are discussed in our Scotty Cameron Newport vs Newport 2 comparison article.

In our testing, we felt that the club performed like any high end blade putter should. These putters do great with arc style swings, but are a bit traditional compared to more modern mallet and high MOI putter styles. However, anyone ready to spend $400 on a putter probably already knows their preferences.

Scotty Cameron is the gold standard of blade putters. It stands up well not only to the Bettinardi, but also to the Ping PLD milled putter in our Ping PLD vs Scotty Cameron comparison article.

Ultimately, this is a great blade putter that will work just as well on a local golf course as it will in a professional golf tournament.

Pros – why we like it

• Beautiful design and styling. These putters look good on the golf course and feel great to hit with.
• High quality materials and craftsmanship make for a great club that will hold up for a very long time.
• Expertly balanced club head for a solid, consistent shot and great speed control.
• Players who love a traditional anser style design will appreciate this club.

Cons – drawbacks to consider

• Very expensive for budget conscious consumers, one of the most expensive brands out there. Scotty Cameron putters start at $400.
• For beginners the blade style can be tougher to learn. We would recommend a mallet style putter or a high MOI putter for these players.

The final verdict

The Scotty Cameron putter comes out slightly ahead of the Bettinardi putter in the categories of style, feel, and consistency. These are both top end golf putters, and their prices reflect their superior performance and reputation. Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference, and you cannot go wrong with either putter.

Our selection criteria – what we look for in a blade putter

Feel

Higher quality putters will have a strong, weighted feel to their clubhead. They will hit through the ball without much resistance on impact.

Lower quality putters will tend to feel “thin” on impact with the ball, and have poor swing control.

Consistency

High quality putters should give a consistent feel and stroke throughout the golf course.

Lower quality putters may change their feel depending on external factors such as terrain, balls used, and player style.

Style

High quality putters are usually well designed with high quality accessories such as head covers. The craftsmanship is apparent in the materials used and attention to detail.

Lower quality putters will tend to have a more generic look with mediocre materials and less attention to detail.

Forgiveness

Higher quality putters tend to have bigger “sweet spots”, and can hit the ball regardless of where on the club it’s struck.

Lower quality putters tend to be very sensitive where they’re struck on the face, with a higher chance of mishitting.

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